Matrics: master your mindset

SELF-MADE ALGORITHM WS5

- AANOLENE THANGAVELU PILLAY

CONGRATULATIONS to all matric students for coming this far on your academic journey! This article is written to support you as you push toward the finish line. It offers a powerful mindset tool - the Self-Made Algorithm W5 - to help you master your thoughts, stay resilient and achieve your best in these crucial weeks ahead.

Imagine you had a mental blueprint - a personal algorithm - that could help you navigate every challenge this year. Welcome to the Self-Made Algorithm W5, a simple yet powerful framework built around five essential questions: Who, What, When, Where and Why. These five W’s form the foundation of decision-making, reflection and growth. When you learn to ask yourself these questions clearly and honestly, you create space to unlearn old habits that no longer serve you, relearn better strategies and keep moying forward with confidence.

This is not just theory — it is a practical mindset tool to help you rise above pressure, stay focused and achieve your best. In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, Alvin Toffler’s words resonate deeply: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn” What does this mean for you as a matric student? It implies that your ability to adapt - to question, rethink and grow - is far more important than memorising facts alone.